Series 5
The Dumping Ground (Series 5) The fifth series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 20 January 2017 on CBBC.1 The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty-two, thirty-minute episodes,2 airing in two halves, respectively in January and October 2017; it is the thirteenth series in the Tracy Beaker franchise. Series 5 of The Dumping Ground, like the two seasons before it, was split into two halves, but this time the first half was 12 episodes long, while the second half was 10 episodes long with a 50 minute Christmas special. The first half commenced airing on 20 January 2017 and finished airing on 31 March 2017. The second half commenced airing on 13 March 2017 and was concluded with a Christmas special on 22 December 2017. Production began on 21 March 2016 and was completed on 9 September 2016. Most of the main cast from the Series 4B returned, with the exception of Reece Buttery as Mo Michaels, who was explained as having returned to live with his grandparents in the series premiere. The first half of the season season also featured the departures of Kasey McKellar as Bailey Wharton, whose character left to join a football academy in America, Sage as Mischief, who left with Bailey and Akuc Bol as Kazima Tako, who left to be reunited with her father and brother in Denmark. It also featured the arrival of a new boy named Alex, a homeless teenager. The second half of the season featured the departures of Nelly and Gwen Currant as Toni and Billie Trent who were fostered. It also introduced two new characters: Charlie, a teenager and Taz, a young girl. The season's final two episodes also featured guest appearances by Joe Maw as Johnny Taylor, Mia McKenna-Bruce as Tee Taylor, Jessica Revell as Elektra and Christopher John-Slater as Frank Matthews. Series In Depth In the first half of the series, long-running characters Bailey (Kasey McKellar), Mischief (Sage) and Kazima (Akuc Bol) departed the show, in episodes 2 and 12 respectively. Dexter (Alexander Aze) joins the show as a regular character, after being recurring in the previous two series. In the second half of the series, Billie and Toni Trent (Gwen and Nelly Currant) left the series in episode 16. Former regular cast members Mia McKenna-Bruce, Joe Maw and Jessica Revell all return for guest appearances in episodes 21 and 22 in the second half of the series, reprising their roles as Tee Taylor, Johnny Taylor and Elektra Perkins. Chris Slater returned in episode 22 as Frank Matthews.3 New neighbours, The Umbleby's, move in and are surprised that they are living next to Ashdene Ridge, prompting them to record a crime log and hold a meeting. Sasha is annoyed with Bailey hanging around with Dexter, so gets her stepbrother Roddy to coach Dexter's football. Sasha finds out Roddy is a bad influence on Dexter by getting Dexter to help break in and that her mother is involved. Bailey and Mischief leave for college in the USA, taking Roddy's place.4567 Ryan overhears a conversation between Mike and May-Li and thinks he is leaving and encourages the young people to hold a vote to choose who leaves, wanting Joseph to go. Joseph volunteers to go, but it's revealed Ryan was picked to represent the home at a theme park and Chloe tells Ryan she does not trust him.89 Chloe meets Candi-Rose, whilst shopping and Chloe claims she goes to boarding school, like her. Candi-Rose moves into The Dumping Ground and both are hurt with telling each other lies. Mr Umbleby is annoyed with Edward spending time on his guitar and with Kazima and Kazima chooses to keep away so Edward gets his guitar back.1011 Jody and Tyler are surprised the young people see them as a couple, so Jody and Tyler arrange for him to ask Sophie from the skate park out, but they argue, however, Jody and Tyler want to remain friends. Archie becomes attached to May-Li, seeing her as a mum, but is reassured he is special and his phase is normal.1213 Floss gets a part in a commercial and struggles to play a daughter without ever having a mother. The young people want money, so Mike suggests they split in teams to come up with and pitch a business. Floss decides she wants to be adopted, accepting her mum won't come for her.1415 A parcel for Archie goes missing and Sasha decides to catch the culprit, who turns out to be Dexter. Billie and Toni suspect Archie is ageing backwards after singing an old song, but the parcel, from his father, explains why he believed he was ageing backwards.1617 Sam,a careworker, is brought in to cover May-Li whilst she goes on holiday and Kazima makes friends with a homeless boy, Alex, who is living in a squat. Floss pretends she has magic powers after falling down the steps.1819 Tyler undertakes work experience at a radio station and meets Ralph, a man who is refusing to sell his home to property developers, and Tyler's boss, Ms Bloomfield, shows Tyler what Ralph is being offered. Ralph tells Tyler he has memories of his late wife in the house. A public meeting about the potential closure of the skate park is held and the young people resort to banging pots and pans, but Chloe tells everyone what the skate park means to them.2021 Alex turns up unexpectedly at The Dumping Ground with George, who is poorly, whilst on a farm trip, Dexter and Sam develop crushes on a farm employee, Anjli and try to impress her. Candi-Rose lets the animals out of their enclosures, but they are rounded up and George harshly rejects Alex, but tells Kazima he did it for Alex's sake. The young people aren't happy that Alex is allowed to stay.2223 A new wardrobe for Kazima arrives, which Mike says is cursed, but Joseph gets trapped inside. Manny, a friend of Mike's relative, takes away the wardrobe with Joseph inside and Kazima and Ryan go to the docks to get Joseph. They think they are late when the boat leaves, but Joseph says he escaped through the back.2425 Kazima receives a message on her online appeal from someone claiming to know where her father is and she later receives a video call from him. Kazima finds out he is in Denmark and wants her to join him, which she agrees to. Alex is hurt that Kazima is leaving, but Kazima gives him advice and in Denmark, she is reunited with her father and brother. Floss is pleased when she has nits and May-Li is the one who passed them on from her own children.2627 Mike forces the young people to hand over their electronics after their excessive usage and May-Li gives Floss a book, prompting Floss to decide the young people should go on an adventure, but Floss gets stuck down a tunnel and uses a radio to communicate. Ryan wants Alex to leave and sets up Mike catching him stealing. Alex changes his mind on running away and rescues Floss from the tunnel and Floss wants to be Alex's best friend.2829 A new girl Taz arrives at The Dumping Ground and Jody is chosen to look after her. After complaining about Taz, Jody remembers her first day and organises some activities for Taz. Some of the young people go to the beach and the boys believe in a story on a legend, so Mike organises clues to find buried treasure and others are assigned activities. Sasha falls out with Candi-Rose when Ryan remarks that Candi-Rose is making her softer.3031 New night manager Mimi Blunt looks after some of the young people who choose not to go to a Galloween show. Upon finding a journal written by a former young person that mentions a ghost, the young people embark on a ghost hunt. After being chased by a mysterious figure, which they believe to be a ghost, and are lead to a painting, they connect Mimi to it all who was the young person and returned to finish the clues to get the painting with her sister.3233 Billie and Toni spend time with potential adoptive parents, but Toni isn't keen on being adopted and Billie and Floss try to convince her into agreeing, but Toni finds out and insists on telling the social worker she doesn't want to live with the Harper's. Toni is locked into a shed whilst Billie pretends to be Toni as well as herself to the social worker, but is caught and after being angry with Billie, Toni agrees to live with the Harper's.34 Mike confiscates Jody's phone when a prank is played on him and new girl Charlie arrives, who wants to spend her time watching wildlife. Mike buys a new safe and the young people formulate a plan to hack the new safe to get her phone and enlist safe installer Gary's help. When they manage to open the safe, the police arrive to arrest Gary, who is believed to be responsible for robberies, but Gary turns out to be Mike.35 Sasha gets locked in the bathroom, but is attracted to the boy, Josh, who gets her out. Sasha goes to a gig and when Mike tells her off for not having his consent to go out, Sasha argues that she got permission for her mum and social worker. Sasha puts Dexter at ease when he worries she will leave him for Josh and when Sasha is stood up by Josh as he receives a college place, she encourages him to accept it. Floss begins to smell and is unhappy about having a spot and she sprays herself in deodorant. Charlie and Floss grow tired of Floss taking their deodorant and spot cream, but make her a teenage survival kit.36 Jody and Joseph are prime suspects when money is stolen and a court is set up. The young people and staff are questioned and Ryan tries to convince everyone acting as the jury to find both Jody and Joseph are guilty, but they are let off when Joseph reveals Floss bribed him into blaming Jody.37 May-Li is annoyed with mess created by the young people, but is irritated by Mike and the young people when she is soaked during a water fight. May-Li complains to Mike about the behaviour of the young people and whilst doing her appraisal, Mike notes down May-Li's worst qualities out of frustration. Ryan reads what is noted and May-Li is hurt when she overhears Ryan telling the others what he put. The young people prepare a meal for Mike and May-Li so they make amends, but May-Li ends up deciding to quit. The young people persuade May-Li not to quit and make up with Mike.38 A development plan is found in the garden that states that The Dumping Ground will be knocked down and flats built. Mike is told they were sent notice, but the post was hid by Taz, and May-Li reveals to Mike they received an email that she assumed was for care leavers. Ryan and Alex are returned to The Dumping Ground after avoiding being charged with public disorder at a museum opening, where Alex egged the mayor. Everyone finds out Peter Umbleby is the head of building planning when he appears and the news and Janet exaggerates the young people's behaviour. Tee and Johnny return to help save The DUmping Ground and the young people decide to crowdfund to buy The Dumping Ground, so they start by sacrificing any money they get. Candi-Rose takes Mike's MBE to stop Chloe's plan of going to Buckingham palace as she doesn't want to be separated from Chloe and Mike reports the money they have raised that is stolen to the police and Alex is arrested when he matches a description. Tee contacts Elektra when the sale date of The Dumping Ground has been brought forward.3940 Elektra arrives and the Umblebys receive an email from Elektra's MP about the sale being put on hold due to reports of Roman remains on the site. At the council, Frank tells Peter that his boss is writing his site report and Elektra emerges when Peter leaves. Alex overhears Peter telling Janet about his plans to bribe people to get his own way and it turns out the Roman remains information is a scam between Elektra and Frank, When the young people buy Roman coins to keep fake Roman remains, the TV journalist exposes it is a con when one of the coins is professionally cleaned. Chloe and Candi-Rose are upset they can't be placed together whilst Finn doesn't want to live with a foster family and Floss wants Elektra to foster her. Janet returns to Tyler the stolen money that was taken in the theft arranged by Peter and the young people confront Peter after looking into the development, so Peter calls off the development.4142 Characters: *Connor Byrne as Mike Milligan *Stacy Liu as May-Li Wang *Connor Lawson as Alex (From Episode 8) *Carma Hylton as Candi-Rose (From Episode 4) *Jasmine Uson as Taz De Souza (From Episode 14) *Emily Burnett as Charlie (From Episode 17) *Jethro Baliba as Archie Able *Alexander Aze as Dexter Bellman *Annabelle Davis as Sasha Bellman *Sarah Rayson as Floss Guppy *Kia Pegg as Jody Jackson *Miles Butler-Hughton as Tyler Lewis *Ruben Reuter as Finn McLaine *Hannah Moncur as Chloe Reeves *Lewis Hamilton as Ryan Reeves *Yousef Naseer as Joseph Stubbs *Akuc Bol as Kazima Tako (Until Episode 12) *Gwen Currant as Billie Trent (Until Episode 16) *Nelly Currant as Toni Trent (Until Episode 16) *Kasey McKellar as Bailey Wharton (Until Episode 2) List Of Episodes: Episodes Category:Series 5